Disappointing end to a disappointing riding season....

So... with great sadness, I must announce that I have had a disappointing riding season, and a much more disappointing and abrupt end to my riding season.

Before I go any further, this is mechanical, and solely related to my stupidity, and not personal injury.

[RANT]So, my riding season never really started. We had some financial difficulties, so no insurance. Being responsible, I (mostly) parked the bike until September when the situation remidied itself. I spent nearly $1000 getting legal, cleaning and new parts from sitting (like a battery), upgrades I've been waiting for (like SS lines). and I had to get other things, like a new helmet, because I put on too much weight. Luckily my hardly worn riding jacket that was a gift barely still fits

So, over the past month or so, I've had a tuning nightmare and I couldn't figure it out. Fouling plugs, inconsistent performance, dropping cylinders, etc.... tonight I figured it out... my O rings in my mixture screws weren't seated properly. at least on 3 of the 4 carbs. I don't know about the 4th carb, because I stripped the head of the mixture screw.

In my excitement and frustration, and because I'm a complete dumba$$... I tried to extract it myself. Even when I messed it up even more, I kept going - because I'm stupid and never learn my lesson, even though this isn't the first time something like this has happened to me. now I'm left with a completely butchered carb with a stripped out hole and a mixture screw still stuck in there

Now luckily i have another set of carbs (which i was hoping to sell!) but they are royally disgusting, and there's only going to be a few more good days left now, and I don't really have time to do a complete carb rebuild for several more weeks.

So, with that being said, i guess it's time to move the bike to the back of the garage, dig out the lift, and start working on my fork rebuild with progressive springs, not to mention clean up the mess I've caused....

FML.....

[/RANT]

 

I feel your pain.
Not a single one of my bikes has even had the cover taken off since the july. (Mostly due to financial issues that have kept me out of town working. Just to keep the bills paid).

You don't need to rebuild the entire rack. Just the one carb that you need to replace, and you already have that.


Ghost

 

Sorry to hear that guys...I've noticed of a few financial issues on this site. It must be hard for you guys over there at the moment...

I'll never meet you so the best I can do is shout you a virtual beer! :wink:

 

High prices and taxes and pay checks not getting any larger = less fun with the hobbies and fun stuff.
My drag car has not seen the track for 4 years. Diesel fuel and some race gas and entrance fees are not in the budget these days.
My 1100 is the only one that has plates and insurance. It gets way better mileage than my truck so I try to use it for short runs.
Just trying to hang in there till this crazy economy turns around.

MN

 

Gotta love an election year. NOT!!

Ghost

 

Yeah, tough times all around. My bike registration expires this month, no idea how I'm gonna renew that, and there's a premium on registering in the county I live in, on top of the normal fees. Also, my car, that had a year left on its plates got towed a while back, for parking tickets. They wanted so much damn money between the courts and towing that I had to just let it go. I had that car over ten years. I'm still hoping to get it back when it gets auctioned, but that's a crapshoot.

 

Sorry to hear your disappointment. I got my bike and put 4,000 miles on it in a few months. I had a very nice ridding season. It's getting cold now, but the season is not quite over for me yet.
Chris.

 

S#!t happens to the best of us at times JM. At least you do have a spare carb that you can go thru and rebuild. I'll tell you, that all though the mixture screws in my carbs were not in bad shape, I went with the stainless kit from Chacal and glad I did. I don't have to worry anymore about buggering up the soft brass heads. Also, there must have been considerably more wear on the old brass screws as the tunability with the new stainless screws is remarkably better. Take heart and don't get discouraged. Now you will have the cold season to take your time to work the bugs out without the pressure to just get er' done quick and hit the road. Persevere, the reward is just around the corner...

 

Thanks guys.... I'll have to look into that stainless kit Mook....